§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will (a) list for each year of operation the percentage of the yearly total of nuclear material reprocessed in the Windscale R204 plant that arose from 466W reactors operated by the electricity boards and (b) publish the percentage of the total throughput of spent fuel processed in the Windscale B204 plant that came from civilian reactors;
(2) on how many occasions Her Majesty's Government have informed (a) the European Commission and (b) the International Atomic Energy Agency that safeguarded plutonium had been withdrawn from safeguards under the article 14 provisions of the 1978 tripartite safeguards treaty (Cmnd. 6730);
(3) if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Walthamstow, East (Mr. Deakins), Official Report, column 292, of 5 December 1985, he will (a) make an estimate of the cost of implementation of the full separation of civil and military facilities and activities at Sellafield and (b) state what proportions of the annual United Kingdom payment to the International Atomic Energy Agency such a safeguards system would require.
§ Mr. GoodladI shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy what proportions of his time is devoted to the assessment of British Nuclear Fuel Ltd's operation of the reactors at Calder Hall and Chapel Cross.
§ Mr. GoodladThese reactors are regularly inspected by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. British Nuclear Fuels also reports to my Department on any relevant commercial aspects of its operation. I commit as much time to any matters requiring my attention as necessary.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department has any plans to issue guidance to British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. on the use of stockpiled safeguarded civil origin plutonium at Sellafield in mixed oxide fuel for (a) advanced gas-cooled reactors and (b) fast breeder reactors; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GoodladThe use of mixed uranium and plutonium fuel in fast reactors is well established. The generating boards have no plans at present to use such fuel in their advanced gas-cooled reactors.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list for each year of the operation of British Nuclear Fuel plc's chemical separation plant B205 at Sellafield (a) the weight of plutonium reprocessed from spent fuel from the Central Electricity Generating Board and the South of Scotland Electricity Board reactors and (b) the total tonnage of spent fuel reprocessed from civil reactors.
§ Mr. GoodladI refer the hon. Member to my answer to a question from the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 11 December 1985 at column638–39.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown), Official Report, 26 July 1985, column 806, whether he will set out the reasons why it is not in the public interest to publish details of nuclear materials withdrawn from nuclear safeguards under article 14 of the tripartite safeguards treaty (Cmnd. 6730).
§ Mr. GoodladFor national security reasons.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for 467W Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown). Official Report, 26 July 1985, column 806, which reactors are included within the definition of civil reactors to which he refers in relation to plutonium withdrawn from safeguards.
§ Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Thomas), Official Report, 1 May, column 460, he will list the nuclear reactors from which the nuclear material to which he makes reference originated.
§ Mr. GoodladI refer the hon. Members to my earlier answer to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Thomas) of 18 December 1984 at column 82.
§ Mr. D. E Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations have taken place between his Department and the Central Electricity Generating Board in 1986 on (a) plutonium and (b) the safeguarding of nuclear materials generated in the Central Electricity Generating Board's nuclear reactors against diversion to military use.
§ Mr. GoodladMy Department has had various discussions with the CEGB on these matters.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy if the Central Electricity Generating Board has any plans to hold an exercise simulating a nuclear emergency presenting a radiological hazard to the local population at one of its Magnox power stations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GoodladI am advised by the Central Electricity Generating Board that it regularly exercises its contingency plans at all its sites. These exercises are witnessed by observers from the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, and a number of further exercises are being planned.
§ Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for Energy if, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed of 25 March, Official Report, column 407, the estimated costs of the European fast reactor demonstration reprocessing plant are priced in 1986 terms; and if he will identify the waste management facilities estimated to cost one quarter of the total figure.
§ Mr. GoodladBNFL and the UKAEA advise me that the indicative estimate of £300 million given for the European fast reactor demonstration reprocessing plant in my answer of 25 March is based upon costings at January 1985 prices. That estimate includes volume reduction plant and interim storage facilities for all types of waste produced.
§ Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Thomas) on nuclear safeguards at Sellafield, Official Report, 6 May, column 107, he will state when his Department came to an agreement not to divulge details on safeguards discussions with the European Parliament; and at whose initiative the decision was taken.
§ Mr. GoodladI have nothing to add to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Thomas) of 6 May 1986 at column107.
§ Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for 468W Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Thomas), Official Report, 6 May column 106, on plutonium all the occurrences, naming each country as appropriate, of the re-transfer of civil plutonium from the United Kingdom, and if he will list the amounts of plutonium involved in each transaction.
§ Mr. GoodladDetails of individual transfers are confidential to the Governments involved.
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Energy what arrangements are in force for security at the Central Electricity Generating Board site of South Killingholme; and who will be responsible for protection of contractors' equipment.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerI shall ask the chairman of the CEGB to write to the hon. Member.